Posts Tagged ‘keratin’

New Keratin Smoothing Treatment Products

Over the past several years, the beauty industry has been revolutionized by the introduction of keratin smoothing treatments. With an ever-growing demand for this texture management solution, the keratin market has flourished. In just the past two years, the keratin landscape has undergone a rapid evolution bringing with it not just new treatments, but also a suite of keratin-infused retail products and tools geared toward providing and maintaining smoothing solutions for all textures of hair. As keratin smoothing treatments have evolved, so have consumer need and demand for aftercare products.

Keeping up with the “keratin kraze” means staying informed—and educating your clients—about new home care regimens that prolong the smoothing results.

The Evolution of Smooth

Keratin treatments were first introduced to the market as a nonpermanent solution for those who wanted to straighten their textured hair. There are now a plethora of available keratin options ranging from in-salon thermal applications to retail products that allow clients to choose from a variety of finished looks, from frizz free curls to sleek, smooth hair. “When GK Hair was founded, we had a high demand for poker straight hair,” explains Ashley Fenice, marketing coordinator for the company. “Everybody wanted the sleek, super-tamed look. Today’s consumer now is mainly looking for flexibility. More and more women are starting to embrace their curls and they want to be able to easily change from curls to straight hair.”

The keratin retail product and aftercare market has evolved as a response to the shift in demand.“It’s no longer about having just straight hair,” says Farouk VP of Shows and Education, Lisa Marie. “Clients want controlled volume and body. Keratin products are about providing your clients with the versatility to wear their curls naturally or blow dry them straight in a fraction of the time it formerly took, while making sure that the hair stays healthy and the treatment lasts.”

Specially Formulated

Many of the keratin treatment aftercare products contain small amounts of the protein complexes that are in the treatment itself, so with each wash-and-condition keratin is re-deposited into the hair, prolonging the smoothing effects. Products in the CHI Enviro Home Care Maintenance System are enriched with the same pearl and silk proteins found in the CHI Enviro Smoothing Treatment. In addition, the CHI products are formulated with a low pH to reduce frizz and add shine.

Brands such as Bio Ionic’s Agave, use sulfate- and sodium chloride-free technology in their aftercare products to extend the results of the treatment. We know that sulfates and salts have the ability to strip color and we are applying this same concept to making sure we’re not stripping the keratin from the hair,” explains Ian Murphy, senior VP of sales and marketing at Bio Ionic.

Empowering and Educating Your Clients

Because keratin is adhered to the cuticle of the hair with heat, the smoothing effects eventually wear off. “Working to maintain a keratin treatment is like protecting an investment,” says Fenice. If used regularly, at-home aftercare products allow clients to extend the life of their keratin treatments to their maximum potential. According to INOAR marketing and sales director, Fabiana Allegro, when the company asked two models to use two different sets of products following their smoothing treatments, the model who used the targeted aftercare products saw smoothing results for five months — twice as long as the other model’s results lasted.

For stylists hoping to establish a connection with keratin clientele, aftercare products provide a special opportunity as stylists teach the clients how to maintain their treated hair at home. “If a client goes home and doesn’t do anything special to maintain her hair, it’s like going to a doctor and then not filling your prescription,” says Farouk’s Lisa Marie. “Give clients the tools and the products they need to keep their hair in good shape after a treatment. Many stylists aren’t comfortable with selling products, but don’t think of it as retailing; it’s educating your clients and helping them to maintain their keratin treatment.”

In addition to products, tools also support the maintenance of a keratin treatment. Bio Ionic’s brushes, flat irons and blow dryers are infused with a blend of 32 minerals called a Nano Ionic Complex, which reconditions and rehydrates as hair is dried and styled.

Stylists can further educate clients about lifestyle hazards that can potentially shorten the lifespan of a keratin treatment. “Swimming can have the same effects on a keratin treatment that a harsh shampoo may have,” explains Allegro. “Salt water and chlorine can strip away the keratin, cutting the length of the treatment in half if extra measures are not taken to protect the hair.” Allegro suggests saturating the hair with tap water and slicking on a leave-in conditioner before swimming. This technique will allow the hair to absorb less of the harmful salt water or chlorine and protect the keratin treatment. Similarly, after working out, the client should cleanse the hair thoroughly of sweat and replenish moisture with a leave-in treatment.

New Benefits for Non-Keratin-Treated Hair

Hair is made up of about 90 percent keratin and 10 percent moisture, but environmental factors, heat straightening and color processing all can work to deplete hair’s naturally existing keratin. This is why stylists are discovering that even clients who have not had a heat-applied keratin treatment may find advantages to using keratin-infused cleansers, conditioners and styling products to reverse some of the effects of damage or simply to strengthen the hair. In some cases, these products can replace a blow-dry treatment.

CHI Keratin Mist is ideal for clients who want the benefits of protein to help strengthen the hair. The product adds strength, controls porosity and makes treated or untreated hair easier to detangle.

“Sometimes a ‘keratin treatment’ can simply be using the Simply Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner to give the client a dose of the smoothing properties of keratin,” says Doreen Guarneri, co-founder of American Culture. She suggests clients shampoo and condition with keratin products on only one side of the hair to see the difference. “Finer hair generally responds to softer smoothing treatments, while tighter, curlier textures really need the full in-salon professional keratin treatment,” she adds.

Rapidly Changing Category

Although keratin treatments are relatively new, the product offerings have already seen significant development and change, with the latest keratin retail offering an option to ensure that the treatment will last as long as possible. “Product delivery is the responsibility of the stylist, so it’s important that we stay informed,” says Robert Santana, platform artist for Matrix. With the right knowledge, tools and products to maintain your treatment, you are also addressing the long-term health of your hair.

“You can customize a keratin treatment to suit a client’s specific needs and wants,” says Guarneri. “It’s about finding the combination treatment and aftercare that works for your client’s needs and lifestyle.”

4 Steps to Salon Safety

It is easy to see how unsafe chemical lab, mines or nuclear facilities can be. But in the soothing, comfortable, spa-like atmosphere of a hair salon it can be difficult to hone in on the harsh reality of the hazards employees face every day. Hazards that require a good salon safety plan.

Salon workers have daily contact with flammable, hazardous chemicals. They use high-voltage electrical tools in a water-rich environment, breathe harmful fumes from chemical solutions used in coloring, bleaching, perms and straighteners. And they handle and wear flammable products and clothing.

Stylists, shampoo staff and nail techs are at risk for contact dermatitis, eczema, asthma and respiratory illnesses, allergies, musculoskeletal disorders, slips, trips and other accidents. The World Health Organization has classified the occupation of hairdresser and barber as “probably carcinogenic”.

OSHA recently issued rules on the use of formaldehyde-releasing products. The safety organization is requiring employers to give employees appropriate gloves and other personal protective equipment such as face shields, chemical splash goggles and chemical-resistant aprons, and to train them on how to use this equipment while mixing and applying the products.

The New “Japzilian” Hair Treatment

The new Japzilian smoothing treatment from California comes from the Joseph Martin Salon in Beverly Hills.

In the late 1990s, the Japanese hair straightening technique emerged as a way to permanently straighten hair. This method of straightening is also known as Thermal Reconditioning, and it combines the use of chemicals and heat to re-texturize the hair. Then the Brazilian Keratin Treatment made its way into salons worldwide as a revolutionary treatment utilizing proteins to deep condition hair while also smoothing the texture. Hair straightening techniques continue to evolve today, but perhaps none as innovative as the new Japzilian treatment.

The Japzilian is an ingenious marriage between the Brazilian Keratin Treatment and the Japanese Hair Straightening system. Combining the most advantageous qualities of both treatments, the Japzilian strives to give better results than either treatment could alone. The treatment was concocted in the Joseph Martin Salon in Beverly Hills, where G-San, a stylist and Artistic Color Director for the Joseph Martin Salon, had the idea for the Japzilian. G-San is the salon’s straightening expert, and has been styling hair for more than 14 years. The Japzilian is exclusively offered at the North Rodeo Drive location, where G-San works and has been whipping up the treatment for about eight months.

“Basically it’s a Japanese straight perm that is layered with keratin treatment. It gives fullness, body and shine to any type of hair—curly, fine, or ethnic,” says James Kendall, son of owner Joseph Kendall. Kendall has been styling hair for 25 years, and serves as the artistic director of the salon. Although the exact ingredients cannot be shared, Kendall assures that the treatment is simple. G-San has essentially combined his favorite Japanese straightening perm, Innosys, with his favorite keratin complex, Coppola.

“It’s a very interesting concept,” says Kendall, “He layers them on top of each other. And it only takes three and a half to four hours.” This is considerably shorter than the amount of time it takes to complete a Japanese straightening perm, which is roughly six hours. Although the name is funky and reptilian sounding, the results are anything but. The effects of the Japzilian are smooth, shiny locks that last up to five months longer than a normal Brazilian Keratin Treatment.

My New Love: CHI Enviro American Smoothing Treatment

Throughout the past year, we have all had mixed emotions about the various keratin treatments available to us. I, like any good researcher, went and had a keratin treatment last year. Like a lot of people, I was happy with the results, but the process left me with irritated eyes, and a lot of questions.

In response to concerns over the safety of traditional aldehyde-containing straightening treatments, CHI has introduced the revolutionary Enviro Smoothing Treatment that is completely formaldehyde-free and safe to your clients as well as yourself. The CHI Enviro American Smoothing Treatment (CurlStylist has dubbed it the CHI EAST) is composed of amino acids, pearl and silk. No harmful chemicals means you have a clear conscious when that client asks for the treatment.

I didn’t understand how the treatment could actually make the hair straighter and smoother without chemicals, but CHI Enviro’s protein and amino acid complex allows temporary change in the structure of hair fibers, leaving hair easier to comb and hair that is silkier, smoother and shinier, so its protein and amino acid complex is what allows the system to straighten the hair.

Megan after her CHI Enviro American Smoothing Treatment

I had the treatment done last weekend and I will have to say that the process is fairly similar to other treatments I’ve had; many steps of washing, drying, flat-ironing. A few things that were drastically different: no smell, well, actually, there was a smell, and it was vanilla, not the eye-watering chemicals of other systems. When Rafael (my own personal CHI Educator) was flat-ironing the treatment onto my hair, there was literally only steam coming off of it, and it didn’t make my eyes water, or make my throat close up. I actually didn’t notice until halfway through the process.

All in all, I was one happy camper. Many of us felt like we were lied to by various companies in the past, and we were more than skeptical with this new treatment. We can’t wait until this safe (physically and environmentally) treatment is offered in all of the salons instead of the harmful keratin processes. You’ve made believers in us, CHI.

Keep Those Keratin Clients

By now, we have all heard enough about how a keratin treatment can zap your clients’ frizzies for the summer, but what happens when the weather cools down and humidity abates? Most of the country is staring fall weather right in the face, and it begs the question of whether or not keratin treatments will still be a profitable source of income in the winter months.

There are many valid points that you should bring up to assure that your clients are keeping their treatments regular. For starters, the humidity may not be an issue any longer, but the majority of the country is facing brutally cold and dry air, which can lead to damage. Make sure that they know that while they are getting a keratin treatment, they are also coating their strands which will prevent any breaking that dry air and flat irons will cause.

Marcia Teixeira offers a line called Brazilian Keratin Treatment (BKT), which boasts on their website that the product “penetrates the hair, repairing internal damage and coats the hair preventing further damage. The results are SOFT, SHINY, STRAIGHT hair”, on their website. The main focus of these keratin treatments is to repair the hair strands that have been damaged and to protect them from future breakage.

Keeping your clients as regulars in your chair will not only help your pocketbook, but will ultimately help them maintain their hair health. Remember, when you are facing a client who has struggled with trying to smooth their locks—you are the therapist.

Austin Stylists Receive Hands-On Training

Stylists from around Texas came out to Avenue Five Institute to learn about the Braziliante Keratin Treatment. Each stylists received up close and personal training from brand educator Zac Watson. Professionals got to ask questions and view people with different hair types who received the treatment. For anyone interested in learning more about the professional line of products, please visit www.braziliante.com.

Keratin Education Event in Austin

Braziliante by Cadiveu is to proud announce that they are teaming up with NaturallyCurly.com, CurlStylist.com and Avenue Five to host an education seminar on the Braziliante Treatment in Austin on Sunday, June 27, 2010! Head Educator, Zac Watson of Dolce & Co. in Arizona, will be educating on the Braziliante by Cadiveu Treatment from beginning to end, showing you tips and tricks along the way to ensure the perfect results. After the class you will be certified to perform this amazing treatment on your own clients. Your clients who once struggled to blow-dry and flat iron their hair for hours each morning will now be able to blow out their hair in a third of the time for a beautiful, shiny and smooth finish; they can go out on the most humid day of summer and their hair will not frizz!

The Braziliante by Cadiveu Treatment is a 90-minute salon treatment that offers results lasting up to 16 weeks! It leaves hair shiny smooth and frizz-free without formaldehyde or harsh chemicals.

The class is complimentary, but seats are filling up quickly. You may call or e-mail your salon’s reservation to guarantee your spot. We look forward to seeing you at the class and helping you launch this amazing service in your salon!

Space is limited; call to reserve your seat at this event today as it will fill up quickly: 323-512-3299

The product, imported from Sao Paulo, Brazil, is used by top salons and stylists around the country.

The formaldehyde-free treatment—from beginning to end— takes about 90 minutes, with no down or processing time between steps. It is designed to work well on on all hair types.

It improves the condition of the hair by creating a protein layer on the hair cuticle to smooth and prevent frizz.

“Once a client has this treatment they can go to Miami on the most humid day of the summer and their hair will not frizz, rather will stay smooth, silky and shiny just as it does when they walk out of the salon,” says Braziliante by Cadiveu founder Christine Medrick.

First the hair is washed with an anti-residue shampoo to open the hair cuticle. Then the solution is applied thoroughly and evenly to the hair. It is blow dried and flat-ironed in 1-inch sections six to eight times with a 450-degree iron to lock in the treatment. Finally, a masque is applied for a few minutes before the hair is rinsed.

In addition to reducing frizz, smoothing the hair and adding shine, another major benefit of the treatment is that it cuts drying time down to one third. If it usually takes 45 minutes, it will only take 15 post-treatment because the hair has less porosity.

After the treatment, Braziliante by Cadiveu sells a line of products to keep the hair looking its best. The Anti Frizz Shampoo and Anti Frizz Conditioner are extremely moisturizing and contain ingredients such as keratin to prolong the results of the treatment. The Leave-in Anti-Frizz contains solar protection and leaves the hair smooth and shiny.

Pravana Creates a Beach Wave Contest Craze

Wave bored? Hop onto the hottest trend and ride the wave with the newest in texture services, Pravana’s Beach Wave. To celebrate the launch, Pravana is holding the Beach Wave Contest, which began on January 12, 2010.

To enter, go to Pravana’s web site and post photos of your best Beach Wave with a brief description of how you achieved the look. Winners will be selected based on overall creativity and beauty of the finished style. The winner will receive a Pravana Glam Kit worth more than $1000 including a Hair Color Collection, Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner, a variety of Pravana Styling products and much more. Make sure to submit your wave by May 30, 2010. The winner will be revealed on June 11, 2010.

Pravana Naturceuticals is a unique hybrid that combines the power of nature with the technological innovation to create a new professional hair care standard. It’s proprietary Naturceutical Complex utilizes nine Meso-American botanicals that nourish and promote hair’s health and wellness and three advanced hydrolyzed proteins to increase strength, elasticity and shine. Formulas contain silk proteins, human hair keratin, and wheat proteins. There are zero phthalates, and absolutely no animal by-product ingredients. Shampoos are sulfate free and sulfite free. All products are free of MEA and DEA and meet the strictest environmental regulations.

Pravana Launches Beach Wave — The Latest in Salon Texture Solutions

There is a new trend splashing onto the scene and only Pravana has the newest salon service, product solution and tool to give clients the hottest in hair. The Beach Wave is the answer to the texture tressed looks your clients are spotting in the pages of fashion mags and red carpet. From the music scene to the fashion scene and all the way to Tinseltown, girls in the know like Lauren Conrad, Kate Hudson and Vanessa Hudgins are wearing waves.

Pravana’s Beach Wave is a semi-permanent texture solution that is thio-free, color-safe, and easier and faster to use. Formulated with Keratin Fusion Retructuring Serum, The Beach Wave infuses the hair with silk and human hair keratin to strengthen, protect and add shine to the new tousled do. Exclusive Beach Wave blocks allow for soft subtle waves that can be worn natural or styled with a curling iron for a more elegant, tighter curl.

Pravana Naturceuticals is a unique hybrid that combines the power of nature with the technological innovation to create a new professional hair care standard. It’s proprietary Naturceutical Complex utilizes nine Meso-American botanicals that nourish and promote hair’s health and wellness and three advanced hydrolyzed proteins to increase strength, elasticity and shine. Formulas contain silk proteins, human hair keratin, and wheat proteins. There are zero phthalates, and absolutely no animal by-product ingredients. Shampoos are sulfate free and sulfite free. All products are free of MEA and DEA and meet the strictest environmental regulations.